Masks at gyms, manis with plexiglass. How businesses will reopen amid coronavirus
At one Coral Gables salon, getting a manicure will mean sticking your hand through a plexiglass hole.
A visit to Zoo Miami could mean more walking as the monorail would be grounded.
This is what the new normal could look like in South Florida once state and local leaders lift coronovirus restrictions.
“We want to make people feel safe,” said Christine Martinez, the owner of the Avant-Garde Salon and Spa in Coral Gables. “I think we have to be very careful, but we have to be able to get back to business.”
On Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a phased reopening of the state that doesn’t yet include Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach counties, the three counties that made up more than half of the state’s nearly 35,000 cases on Friday. Under the first phase, which begins Monday, salons and gyms must remain closed. Retail stores can open at 25 percent capacity.
On Wednesday, Broward and Miami-Dade counties opened up parks, marinas and golf courses, but stipulated social-distancing restrictions.
But even without the directive, business owners and community leaders say they have to follow new protocols to minimize spreading COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
“The way we provide these services may look a little differently when we reopen, but the [YMCA] has always been there for the community,” said Sheryl A. Woods, president and CEO of YMCA of South Florida. “And we will continue to be there for the community, meeting their needs.”
Here’s what some businesses could look like once they reopen:
Salons
Christine Martinez said she has spent her time off over the last month getting her 3,000-square-foot salon at 155 Miracle Mile ready for reopening. Among her purchases: Masks, shields and plexiglass.
Martinez said she plans on reducing the number of stylists working at one time from 18 to 5, and she won’t take any walk-in appointments — at least in the beginning.
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She also hopes she will be allowed to extend her hours, so the salon can still see as many customers.
On Monday, Supercuts updated customers as more states allowed the reopening of salons.
Customers are being encouraged to schedule services online and check in online before arriving.
Other changes include: Chairs will be spaced out in the work area and waiting area; stylists and customers must wear a CDC-recommended face mask that covers the nose and mouth; increased sanitization of common areas; and customers will be given disposable or washed/dried capes before any services begin.
Face-to-face services, including beard trims and waxing, are temporarily suspended.
Gyms
At 24 Hour Fitness clubs, the gym has been encouraging its members to download its free 24GO personalized fitness app, which offers livestreamed workouts.
But for those who choose to go to a club when it opens, the company says there will definitely be some changes: Touch-free check-ins through the app; social distancing, and temporarily closing some amenities and allowing 30 minutes in between 60-minute sessions to clean.
At the YMCA, Woods, the president and CEO, wrote in an email: .... “we are looking at protocols that align with CDC and local government recommendations.”
The changes could include temperature checking all members before they enter the facility; requiring staff to wear masks and gloves, increasing cleaning and creating smaller spaces for socialization per CDC requirements.
The center will also “slowly ramp up operations each week until we are back at full capacity,” and the number of people who can enter the gym at one time will be staggered.
Attractions
When Zoo Miami is given the nod to reopen, only members will be allowed to enter for a limited experience. At first, the monorail will be grounded and the boat ride will be closed, so walking will be the way to traverse the 3-mile park.
Ron Magill, ZooMiami’s spokesman, said Safari Cycles will be open and allow rentals, with extra cleaning procedures in place. In the first phase of reopening, there will be no shows, playground nor water features; concessions will be limited.
“Things are changing by the hour,” Magill said. “We are adjusting as best as we can.”
Jungle Island also will reopen in phases. In the first of its three-phased approach, Jungle Island plans on opening so people can “look and learn” about the park’s 450 animals. There will be social-distancing markers and signage throughout the park.
Employees will be trained on the “new normal” so that “people can have a fun experience and stay safe at the same time,” park spokeswoman Rachel Pinzur said.
Miami Seaquarium told the Herald it is too soon to provide a definitive opening date.
“We are preparing protocols and procedures to address social distancing, disinfection, guest education, hand sanitization, respiratory hygiene and other health & safety factors,” the Seaquarium said.
Disney parks in the United States, Disney World and Disneyland, are still closed and have no set reopening date. Disney recently furloughed 100,000 theme park and hotel workers amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Disney has already put in place safety procedures at Shanghai Disneyland in China, which had a limited reopening on March 9. If Disney rolls over these guidelines to the U.S., future guests can expect these new changes:
▪ Guests must wear a mask during their entire time at the resort, except when dining, and will be reminded to maintain social distances while in stores, queues and restaurants.
▪ Entrance and ride queues will be marked with tape or sticker boxes showing where people can and cannot stand to maintain a 6-feet distance.
▪ Resorts may reopen in phases.
While Universal and SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment have not announced any new safety protocols, John Sprouls, CEO of Universal Orlando Resort, said Universal would use technology to tell people where to stand in line with social distancing. The park would also start with smaller crowds then scale up
Malls
On Thursday, Simon, the nation’s largest owner of shopping malls, announced reopening dates for some of its malls. While some Florida malls have gotten a date, no malls or outlet centers in Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach counties have been given a reopening date.
The South Florida malls Simon owns or has an interest in are Aventura, Coral Square, Dadeland, Florida Keys Outlet Marketplace, Miami International, Sawgrass Mills, The Colonnade Outlets, The Falls and the Town Center in Boca Raton.
Simon says all employees will be temperature and health screened, be required to wear face masks and must maintain 6 feet from coworkers and shoppers, and it will use “existing traffic measurement technologies” to make sure occupancy does not exceed one person per 50 square feet.
This story was originally published May 2, 2020 at 7:00 AM.
